2009 Ford Flex - ReFlex

CGS Builds A Winner For SEMA

After the Ford Motor Company revealed their new fullsize crossover, the Flex, at the '07 New York Auto International Auto Show, it wasn't available from Detroit for custom aftermarket companies until the summer of 2008. At that point, Casey and Ron Scranton of CGS Motorsports in Pomona California took delivery on their '09 Ford Flex. This gave Casey and Ron three months to complete their dedicated SEMA project.

CGS Motorsports collaborated with good friend and rendering artist Sean Smith of SS Design in San Diego, California. Sean used his visionary mind to create a casual, custom family cruiser. To accomplish this, Sean created a lowered illusion by designing a new lower front end, side skirts, and a lower rear bumper. A set of larger diameter, front and rear wheels and tires filled up the wheel openings at all four corners. By making these visual modifications, Sean renamed this '09 Ford Flex, "ReFlex".

Truckin' was there to document the entire build of the CGS "ReFlex" in previous issues number 2, 3, and 4. Casey and Ron used the hands-on experts Sean Smith and Sean Torres, who are both graduates from The Pasadena Art Design Center in Pasadena, California. Sean and Sean have performed many hours of working and sculpting clay scale models and aero designed parts. The two experts helped with shaping and molding the front and rear body mods. After the "ReFlex" body mods were completed, it was trailered to Mogata Body Kits in Beaumont, California. The team went to work on making fiberglass molds from the existing CGS modified front end and rear bumper. After the molds were pulled from the CGS modified front end and rear bumper, new gel coated fiberglass parts were pulled from those molds. A pair of 21/2-inch steel aero side skirts from JJ Metal Works in Garden Grove, California, were shaped, welded and molded to the "ReFlex" rocker panels. All of the factory Flex door handles were removed, then the pockets were filled using 14-gauge steel plates that were welded, ground, and smoothed. The body was then prepped for paint and rolled into the CGS paint booth. Casey made a color change from the factory black to a two-tone color scheme, using BASF paint products. The upper portion received coats of Audi Aruba Metallic Blue. The lower portion was sprayed using BASF Audi Dolphin Metallic Gray, then buried with numerous coats of clear. The two colors were then divided by a silver beltline stripe outlined with a thin light blue pinstripe, done by Lil' Louie in San Bernardino, California.

To obtain the correct lowered stance, Casey and Ron installed a set of Eibach lowering springs at each corner dropping the "ReFlex" 13/4 inches up front, 11/2 inches in the rear creating a slight forward rake. Project "ReFlex" would roll on a set of BonSpeed polished billet aluminum 22x8.5 front, 22x10 rear, wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion Zero 265/35R22 front and Pirelli Scorpion Zero 305/35R22 rear. By bolting on a wider wheel/tire combo in the rear, it gives the illusion the "ReFlex" is a rear-wheel-driver vehicle.

The only modification to the engine was a CGS 21/2-inch diameter exhaust with a custom 18-inch oval tip designed and fabricated by Ron.

Opening the doors exposes the classic Road Wire Automotive black leather seats with timeless, perforated white, French-stitched diamond tuck inserts. The same style was installed on each of the four door panels and the two center console storage tops. The front bucket seat headrests were swapped out with new VisuaLogic 9-inch DVD monitors. The dash and door panel moldings were accented with black oak film by Auto Extras. Advantage Audio in Brea, California, installed the door solenoids and poppers. The factory auto sound system was left unmolested. Of the over 30 custom Ford Flex crossovers made specifically for the '08 SEMA Show, as well as all other custom Ford vehicles, the CGS Motorsports Flex "ReFlex" won the Ford Designers Award.